In In the Grey, Guy Ritchie Would Rather Confuse Us Than Entertain Us

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Guy Ritchie has a style similar to Wes Anderson, but for action movies. He’s known for complicated storylines and turning action sequences into puzzles, even if they eventually end in big explosions. In his Sherlock Holmes films, the hero would mentally break down fights, calculating his opponent’s moves before striking. His heist movies feature elaborate planning that feels more like a hobby for clever kids than something hardened criminals would do. In his new film, In the Grey, Ritchie takes this obsession with preparation to an extreme, and while it’s meant to be funny, it doesn’t always work. The screen gets filled with endless lists and information, which can be overwhelming and cause you to lose focus.

It’s hard to imagine a story about chasing down billionaires who avoid paying their debts being told any other way. The film In the Grey centers on a team of highly skilled, heavily armed debt collectors, led by Rachel Wild (Eiza González). She’s a freelancer who specializes in persuading powerful, international businessmen to repay the large debts they owe. This time, her target is Manny Salazar (Carlos Bardem), a dangerous gangster with his own island and security force. To force Salazar to pay, Rachel needs to unravel his complex web of legal and illegal businesses and then essentially hold them hostage until the debt is settled. She’s assisted by Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Sid (Henry Cavill), who are experts in intimidation, spying, bribery, and other shady tactics.

It’s hard to fully explain what’s happening in this movie – even the details are confusing. Basically, officials are taking bribes, the Saudi police (who helped fund the film) get mixed up in things, construction projects are halted, and Salazar starts losing a lot of money, which Rachel uses to blackmail him. The film jumps around different countries as Rachel’s complex scheme unfolds, and we’re supposed to be impressed by how it all fits together. However, it’s more likely the audience has lost interest. Adding to the quirky style, the director throws in a recipe for a negroni cocktail, showing the ingredients on screen. It’s a clever detail, but feels like a final flourish from a performer who knows the show is falling apart.

Even a slightly confusing plot can work if a movie has a strong style and engaging characters. Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme manages this, offering intricate financial plots without losing emotional connection and always looking visually appealing. Guy Ritchie’s new film retains some visual flair – it’s a colorful movie, despite the title – but the characters feel flat. While Jake Gyllenhaal and Henry Cavill have delivered strong performances in Ritchie’s previous films (like The Covenant and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., respectively), their on-screen chemistry is missing here. Eiza González’s character is written as overly confident, leaving her with little to do but deliver tough-sounding lines; she’s present, but the role feels mechanical. The film, shot in 2023, is surprisingly short at 97 minutes and is being quickly released by Black Bear after Lionsgate decided against it, suggesting potentially interesting scenes were cut during editing.

The story could have been simpler, but the director, Ritchie, seems to enjoy a complicated approach. He jumps between different time periods and throws a lot of unnecessary details at the audience, like an incredibly long list of every item the characters brought to the island. This list, predictably, becomes relevant during a loud and underwhelming final battle. As the screen is filled with labels identifying everything from missiles to motorcycles (and even beer!), you start to wonder if Ritchie is trying to distract us because he doesn’t have a strong core story. Or maybe he does, but struggles to present it effectively. At times, the movie’s complicated style made me think it was trying to reflect the complexities of global finance, but ultimately it just became confusing and made me long for the end of the film.

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2026-05-15 22:54